Have Famous Women Gotten Off the Hook When It Comes To Cheating Scandals?

Pop-Ed: 'Today' show host Matt Lauer is the latest star whose name has been connected to a cheating scandal. The National Enquirer reported last week that Lauer was looking for new digs after separating from his wife of twelve years, Annette Roque, following questionable behavior during the Vancouver Olympics. Last week, the couple denied the story to PEOPLE -- "I have never moved out. I am not moving out. There is no truth to that," Lauer said -- but that hasn't stopped sources from tracking the couple's every move, including whether Rogue is even wearing her wedding ring. Going forward, Lauer can certainly expect more digging.

Just ask Tiger Woods. Or Jesse James. Or Tiki Barber, who last month announced he and his wife had split after he was caught with 23-year-old former NBC intern Tracy Johnson. Barber, a 'Today' contributor and former NFL superstar, left wife Ginny Cha after she confronted him about reports that he was seen canoodling with Johnson, also in Vancouver. Barber moved out of his New York home, leaving Cha eight months pregnant with twins. Johnson also happened to be the couples' babysitter.

Stories of unfaithful celebrity husbands and the graphic details of their infidelities seem to be spreading faster than oil in the Gulf. But while we hear plenty about the unfaithful -- or rumored unfaithful -- why is it we never hear much about famous philandering females?

Oddly, we never hear much about the ladies. Perhaps it's because their stories aren't as salacious or because men just pick women with big mouths who kiss and tell. While men cheat like they're at a buffet, eating everything in sight, women seem to cheat like they are on a diet: in very small portions. Meanwhile, we are left to hear vivid details of Tiger's sexcapades with a veritable chorus line of buxom blondes and stories of Jesse James' tattoo peekaboo with Michelle McGee.

According to licensed psychologist and sex therapist Doris Jeanette, the reasons for this disparity are far more substantial. "Men who cheat with several partners have a high likelihood of being addicted to sex," she says. "It is a psychological problem because their actions are anxiety-driven. It's an obsession for them ... like a heroine addiction."

On the other hand, women who cheat often do so with only one person at a time, Jeanette says. "Their decisions are based on desire ... pursuing another partner, someone they really care about. There are real feelings." In the case of most women, "Cheating is not a psychological problem, not an addiction."

Here are some examples that could be used to back Jeanette's theory:

LeeAnn Rimes: Rimes had been married for seven years when rumors surfaced that she was co-starring with Eddie Cibrian in the bedroom as well as in the Lifetime movie 'Northern Lights.' At first, Rimes denied the reports, but eventually she left husband Dean Sheremet for Cibrian, who subsequently left his wife of eight years. Rimes and Cibrian have been together for over a year now.

Jennifer Lopez: Remember when J.Lo did the no-no with Ben Affleck while married to Chris Judd? She left Judd for Affleck and the two became "Bennifer." They were inseparable. The couple got engaged, traded Bentleys and planned a wedding in Santa Barbara. Days short of saying "I do," Affleck reportedly made the decision to cancel the wedding and left Lopez a few weeks later. A distraught J.Lo soon rebounded with an old flame, Mark Anthony, who left his wife and married Lopez. The Latin lovers are still crooning about marriage and twin toddlers. Affleck ended up marrying Jennifer Garner.

Jennifer Garner: Garner had already been down the aisle with actor Scott Foley in 2000. She separated from him in March of '03 citing "irreconcilable differences." Those differences: Her relationship with Michael Vartan, which started on the set of their hit TV show, 'Alias.' Garner and Vartan went public within months, although her divorce from Foley was not finalized until a year later. That same summer, Vartan was out of the picture and Garner was with Affleck. There was certainly close proximity between these relationships, with Garner seeming to trade one for the other. Her alleged affairs all turned into open relationships, culminating in her marriage to Ben. It's now almost five years and two kids later.

Anne Heche: Heche received far more publicity for dating a woman than for cheating on one when she ditched gal-pal Ellen DeGeneres for cameraman-turned-husband Coley Laffoon. And hardly anyone raised an eyebrow when she left Laffoon in 2007 for her then 'Men In Trees' co-star James Tupper. Laffoon filed for divorce and called Heche "mentally unstable," but that didn't seem to bother Tupper. He and Heche recently had a baby together, and are keeping house ... three years and counting.

Julia Roberts:The last time there was hype surrounding the sextra-curricular activities of a female celeb was when Julia Roberts broke up the marriage of cameraman Danny Moder to his then-pregnant wife. Roberts began her affair with Moder on the set of 'The Mexican.' Moder left his wife, which was ugly, but Roberts convinced the public that Moder was "the one." The two have been married since 2004, have three children and spend most of their time in New Mexico being parents. It's Roberts' longest relationship thus far.

Maybe it is time for both men and women to put down the utensils of love and start treating their wives, husbands and partners like calories: Realize that EVERY ONE counts. We could certainly all benefit from a celebrity cheat-free diet!

Yeah the women are just as guilty..but i dont see any sex addiction going on..or any of these women cheating on their spouses..um 120 times!!?,,(like Tiger Woods..)..but yes they should be held accountable..but do i really care about any of these people..?the answer is a resounding..NO! Mary B. GJ,colorado

Who cares both men and woman in hollywood change partners like underware its all part of the of being a star bang as many as you can cause you know dam well if the woman and men on here had the chance to get with some of these stars you would.

tfcrow.Hell theres a few woman in hollywood that can pray on me even my wife agrees with me how the stars on she said if she had the chance to lick brad pitt all over she would.Hell cant blame her he's a good looking guy plus he might leave mike money on the table before he leaves

Geez, how many additions/illnesses does this world need? It's more a lack of self-control and selfishness. I know men and women who bwhave the same way. Besides, who the hell you think married men are cheating with? They aren't all single women, and most of the singles know anyway, so they are just as culpable.

I'm still waiting for them to show me a woman who cheated for emotional needs. I'm a female myself, and I still have not met one! I have seen countless women cheat on their good guys with countless men, and they did it cause they wanted to, they loved sex, and they didn't care about hurting their families. But I do believe a female Tiger Woods would get called way worse names than the male Tiger, and if her husband stays, the public and media would ridicule him to death.

I don't care who cheats with who! I love a juicy gossip story! That's why I have subscriptions to Star,National Enquirer,Us,and People. Let them all jump from one bed to another! I especially like to read about someone getting cheated on, with the one they cheated with!! I can't get enough!!

There is no double standard, as was pointed out in the article, most women do cheat with hundreds of men at a time & the man they cheat with don't go running to the press to catch their 15 minutes of fame.

agree. Life is so lonely. I'm a doctor, 31, rich but still single. It's hard to get a girlfriend in my town,m ost of them like my money more than like me. I just want to find my true love. so i uploaded my hot photos on AffluentSingle(C/-O/-M) under the name of hot561. maybe you are the one who i'm looking for!!!

It sure seems like they do not get as much media attention as the men who are caught. Jennifer Lopez treated her second husband, Chris Judd terrible and Ben Affleck should have had more respect for her marriage to Chris Judd.